Digital photo frame and method of displaying images according to a date

ABSTRACT

A digital photo frame with a function for displaying images according to a chosen date includes an internal memory for storing a search date and digital images; a date unit for supplying a system date; a date obtaining module for obtaining the system date from the date unit; a time frame search confirming module for confirming a time frame according to the system date and the search date; an image searching module for searching images in the internal memory or an external memory connected to the digital photo frame according to the time frame; and an image obtaining module for obtaining images according to the time frame. A method of displaying images according to a chosen date in a digital photo frame is also provided.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a digital photo frame with function fordisplaying images according to a date.

2. General Background

Digital photo frames typically display images directly from a memorycard. Certain digital photo frames are able to directly load images tothe frame's memory via a USB connection. All digital photo frames candisplay images on a screen. Most digital photo frames will display theimages as a slideshow, changing photos according to an adjustable timeinterval. Digital photo frames are more convenient over conventionalhardcopy photo albums because a user doesn't have to physically turnpages to look at photos.

However, a user may wish to view certain photos of a collection ratherthan all of them. For example, photos in a collection relating to aspecial date or day such as a birthday or anniversary.

What is needed, therefore, is a digital photo frame that has thefunction for displaying images according to a date.

SUMMARY

A digital photo frame with a function for displaying images according toa chosen date includes: an internal memory for storing a search date anddigital images; a date unit for supplying a system date; a dateobtaining module for obtaining the system date from the date unit; atime frame search confirming module for confirming a time frameaccording to the system date and the search date; an image searchingmodule for searching images in the internal memory or an external memoryconnected to the digital photo frame according to the time frame; and animage obtaining module for obtaining images according to the time frame.

Other advantages and novel features will be drawn from the followingdetailed description with reference to the attached drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The components of the drawings are not necessarily drawn to measuringscale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating theprinciples of the digital photo frame with the function of displayingimages according to date. Moreover, in the drawings, like referencenumerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGS. 1 to 4 are different display modes of a display screen of adigital photo frame of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of adigital photo frame in accordance with the exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary block diagram of main function modules of aprocessing unit of the digital photo frame of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a method for displaying images of certaindates by the digital photo frame of FIG. 5 in accordance with anotherexemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 4 are different display modes of a display screen in adigital photo frame of an exemplary embodiment. A display screen 130(shown in FIG. 5) of the digital photo frame 10 has an image displayarea 11 and a date display area 12. The date display area 12 isconfigured for displaying a system date. The position of the datedisplay area 12 can be any suitable position of the display screen 130,for example, at a right side of the display screen 130 as shown in FIG.2 and FIG. 4 or at a bottom right side of the display screen 130 asshown in FIG. 3. The display screen 130 further has an image informationdisplay area 13 for displaying property information of an image ondisplay, such as creation time, size, and so on.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary block diagram of a hardware infrastructure of thedigital photo frame in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. Thedigital photo frame 10 includes a processing unit 110, a display controlunit 120, the display screen 130, an interface 140, an operation panel150, an internal memory 160, and a date unit 170.

The interface 140 is used for connecting with an external memory 20,such as a memory card, a music player, a digital camera, and the like.The date unit 170 is used for supplying system time and calendarinformation. The processing unit 110 reads images from the internalmemory 160 or the external memory 20, and sends the images to thedisplay control unit 120. The display control unit 120 controls displayof the images on the display screen 130. Furthermore, the processingunit 110 also obtains system date from the date unit 170, and sends itto the display control unit 120.

The operation panel 150 includes a digital image selection unit 151, aratio adjusting unit 152, an rotating unit 153, a color adjusting unit154, a date display control unit 155, and a search control unit 156.These elements of the operation panel 150 are configured for generatingcontrol instructions to the processing unit 110 in response to a user'sinput. Input by a user may be accomplished by any known means such asthrough the use of a keypad (not shown) installed on the digital photoframe or through the use of a touch sensitive portion of the displayscreen 130. The processing unit 110 performs a corresponding operationaccording to the control instructions.

For example, when a selection instruction is received from the digitalimage selection unit 151, the processing unit 110 reads images from theinternal memory 160 or the external memory 20 according to the selectioninstruction. When a ratio adjusting instruction and a rotatinginstruction are received from the ratio adjusting unit 152 and therotating unit 153 respectively, the processing unit 110 adjusts adisplay ratio and a display azimuth of a displayed digital imageaccording to the ratio adjusting instruction and rotating instruction.When a color adjusting instruction is received from the color adjustingunit 154, the processing unit 110 changes colors of the displaying imageaccording to the color adjusting instruction.

The date display control unit 155 is configured for controlling thedisplay instruction, that is, starting or stopping the display of thesystem date. When the display control unit 120 receives the displaystarting instruction, the date display area 12 appears as shown in FIG.2 and FIG. 3, when the display control unit 120 receives the displaystopping instruction, the date display area 12 disappears, the displayscreen 130 appears back to be the image display area 11.

The search control unit 156 is configured for sending a search startinginstruction or a search stopping instruction to the processing unit 110to start or stop searching for an image search date according to aselected time frame. The time frame is calculated according to a searchdate inputted by the user. For example, if the user wishes to search forimages that were captured or modified on the same day one year ago, thesearch date is one year, and the user should select one year as thesearch date. The search date can be n (n can be a whole number) years, nmonths, or n days, and is stored in the internal memory 160.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary block diagram of the main function modules of theprocessing unit 110 of FIG. 5. The processing unit 110 includes a dateobtaining module 1110, a time frame determining module 1111, a searchingmodule 1112, an image reading module 1113, and a folder creating module1114.

The date obtaining module 1110 obtains current system date from the dateunit 170, and determines whether to display the system date on thedisplay screen 130 according to the control of the date display controlunit 155. If the date obtaining module 1110 determines to display thesystem date on the display screen 130, the date unit 170 sends thesystem date to the display control unit 120, and the display controlunit 120 controls the display screen 130 to display the system date inthe date display area 12.

The time frame determining module 1111 obtains system date from the dateunit 170 and the search date selected by the user, determines a timeframe to search by subtracting the search date from the system date,then sends the time frame to the searching module 1112.

The searching module 1112 searches the internal memory 160 or theexternal memory 20 for images corresponding to the time frame, thencreates a folder to store the results if any. The results typicallycomprise file paths to the images found that were created during thetime frame.

The image reading module 1113 reads the images associated with the filepaths. In the exemplary embodiment, the display screen 130 can alsocontrol the image information display area 13 to display the creationtime information of the read images.

FIG. 7 is a method flowchart of displaying desired images implemented bythe digital photo frame of FIG. 5 in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment.

In step 700, a user input causes the date display control unit 155 tosend a start instruction to the display control unit 120. The user isprompted to input the search date which is recorded in the internalmemory 160.

In step 710, the time frame determining module 1111 obtains system dateand the search date.

In step 720, the time frame determining module 1111 determines the timeframe to search by subtracting the search date from the system date.

In step 730, the searching module 1112 searches in the internal memory160 and/or the external memory 20 through the interface 140 according tothe time frame, finds images created or modified at a time correspondingto the time frame, and generates a search result.

In step 740, the searching module 1112 creates a folder in the internalmemory 160 to store the search result.

In step 750, the image reading module 1113 reads the images associatedwith the search result, then sends the images to the display screen 130according to the control of the display control unit 120.

Although the present invention has been specifically described on thebasis of a preferred embodiment thereof, the invention is not to beconstrued as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications maybe made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe invention.

1. A digital photo frame with a function of displaying images accordingto a chosen date, the digital photo frame comprising: an internal memoryfor storing a search date and digital images; a date unit for supplyinga system date; a date obtaining module for obtaining the system datefrom the date unit; a time frame search confirming module for confirminga time frame according to the system date and the search date; an imagesearching module for searching images in the internal memory or anexternal memory connected to the digital photo frame according to thetime frame; and an image obtaining module for obtaining images accordingto the time frame.
 2. The digital photo frame according to claim 1,further comprising an operation panel, wherein the operation panelcomprises a search control unit for starting or stopping the functionfor displaying images.
 3. The digital photo frame according to claim 2,further comprising a display control unit, and wherein the dateobtaining module is further used for sending obtained system date to thedisplay control unit.
 4. The digital photo frame according to claim 3,further comprising a display unit, and wherein the operation panelfurther comprises a date display control unit for starting or stoppingdisplaying system date on the display unit.
 5. The digital photo frameaccording to claim 1, further comprising a folder creating module forstoring a search result generated from the image searching module.
 6. Amethod of displaying images in a digital photo frame according to achosen date, the method comprising: obtaining a search date from auser's input and a system date of the digital photo frame; confirming atime frame according to the system date and the search date; searchingimages in an internal memory or an external memory connected to thedigital photo frame according to the time frame; and obtaining imagesaccording to the time frame.
 7. The method of displaying imagesaccording to claim 6, further comprising generating a search result andcreating a folder to store the search result after searching images inthe internal memory or the external memory according to the time frame.8. The method of displaying images according to claim 6, furthercomprising starting or stopping the function for displaying images,search date and setting the search date.
 9. The method of displayingimages according to claim 6, further comprising displaying obtainedsystem date.
 10. The method of displaying images according to claim 9,further comprising starting or stopping displaying system date on thedisplay unit.